Written by William Ballard, CEO, Business Coach
Coming from a middle-class family, William has a heart for helping people who feel they have so much more to give, but can't seem to escape the 9-to-5 rat race. With the wisdom he's absorbed from the several mentors that have poured into his life and the knowledge he's gained from many years of collegiate training, he enjoys sharing all that he's learned with his engaged and growing community.
As a leader, I firmly believe that self-awareness is the cornerstone of building a strong team. You cannot give what you do not have, and you cannot add value to your team without first adding value to yourself. That said, my leadership success is primarily attributed to my acute self-awareness.
In his book, The Self-Aware Leader, John Maxwell said, “The single greatest obstacle leaders face in their development, effectiveness, and advancement is the lack of self-awareness.” He goes on to say, “When leaders don’t see themselves clearly, understand their strengths and weaknesses, or recognize their negative interactions with their team, they limit their influence and undermine their own effectiveness.” This understanding has not only enlightened me but also empowered my leadership journey, and I believe it can do the same for you.
Moreover, it was Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, who said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” He goes on to say, “If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
That said, during a two-day professional development training session at a local university, some colleagues and I participated in Gallup's Strengths Finder assessment workshop. The following is what I learned about my strengths and how I apply them to my entrepreneurial pursuits.
Learner
According to Gallup, “People exceptionally talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to improve continuously. The process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.”
This accurately assesses my personality because I’ve always considered myself a lifelong learner. I find joy in the process of learning, and I strongly believe that the moment you stop learning, you stop growing. I bring the excitement and fulfillment that comes from continuous self-improvement to the table and to entrepreneurship.
My commitment to continuous learning keeps me engaged and moving forward in my leadership journey, and I encourage you to make the same commitment in your leadership roles. This dedication to learning keeps us engaged and committed to our growth as leaders.
Moreover, it’s important to note here that the learning process excites a person like me, not the outcome of learning in and of itself. In other words, it’s not the degree earned (tangible and able to be stolen), but the education gained (intangible and cannot be stolen) that holds the most value.
How does knowing this about myself enhance my ability to succeed in entrepreneurship?
According to the Clifton Strengths data, the Learner theme fits into the Strategic Thinking domain, and those with dominant Strategic Thinking themes, like the Learner, can absorb and analyze information that aids in making better and wiser decisions.
As you read this article, you’ll discover how this theme (strength) builds upon my other strengths (such as Responsibility and Intellection) to make me a more decisive leader and entrepreneur.
Leader responsibility
According to Gallup, “People exceptionally talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.”
Again, this is an accurate assessment of my personality because I strongly believe in saying what you mean and doing what you said you would, walking the walk and talking the talk.
This also works in tandem with or in harmony with the Learner theme (strength) above because just like learning is a life-long journey, so is continuous improvement.
In other words, perfection can never be obtained; it can only be pursued. To claim otherwise is to be dishonest. As leadership expert John Maxwell states, “People don’t want to follow perfect leaders, but they do want to follow authentic leaders who are doing their best.”
How does knowing this about myself enhance my ability to succeed in entrepreneurship?
According to the Clifton Strengths data, Responsibility is one theme that fits into the Executing domain. In other words, those who possess Executing themes (like that of Responsibility) make things happen or get things done.
As you will find in the following few themes, learning new things (above) and thinking intensely about new ideas (below) are essential to success, but only in proportion to the amount of action accompanying them.
In other words, information alone is worthless. The value of information gained through Learning and Intellection is in the application, or to echo the words of Dale Carnegie (and Napoleon Hill), “Knowledge is not power until it is applied.” That’s where the strength of Responsibility comes into play, and as stated in the book of Luke, “To whom much is given, much is required.”
Intellection
According to Gallup, “People exceptionally talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussion.”
From the description above, you can ascertain that people with a strong Intellection theme (strength) are often very deep thinkers. In fact, thinking is a major part of their lives. They mediate heavily on matters before making irrational decisions or engaging in impulsive behaviors.
Once again, this is an accurate assessment of my personality because I am a deep thinker and inspired by intellectual stimulation. In other words, I appreciate intellectual discussions (deep conversations) where thinking is essential, as opposed to small talk or service-level discussions (where not much thinking is required).
Now, those with a strong Intellection theme may, at times, overthink a matter and may have the potential to read into something that isn’t there. That said, this does have the potential to put a speed bump in the path of execution, but someone with a strong Responsibility strength (above) can also override this when necessary.
Lastly, what is interesting about this particular theme regarding entrepreneurship is that most believe extroverts are the best personality types for this profession.
Even though it may be true that extroverts do make for promising entrepreneurs, introverts (introspective personalities) are just as capable of becoming strong entrepreneurs. And I am persuaded that perhaps they are even more so because of their ability to absorb and analyze information to make better and wiser decisions.
Maximizer
According to Gallup, “People exceptionally talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.”
Now, this particular theme (or strength) is fascinating. Once again, I believe this is an accurate assessment of my personality. Let me explain why. You see, I’m not one to usually participate in an activity I know I will not excel at. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t engage in a challenging activity.
The Strengths Finder assessment was actually built on this theme as a foundation. In other words, in the past, when it came to personality assessments and becoming more self-aware, it was believed that we should become aware of our strengths and weaknesses and then work to develop and strengthen our weaknesses.
However, the founders of the Strengths Finder assessment found this idea counterproductive or counterintuitive. They believed you should be aware of your weaknesses but channel your energy into developing your strengths. And, instead, hire to enhance or improve your weaknesses.
In other words, no matter how much effort you put into strengthening your weaknesses, you will only be able to achieve average levels in those areas. On the other hand, if you channel all your energy into developing your strengths, you will increase your effectiveness and achieve excellence in those areas.
As Gallup says, “Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort.” and someone with a strong Maximizer theme, like me, “views this as not very rewarding.” On the other hand, “Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling.”
Now, as an entrepreneur, this theme (or strength) is so powerful: where I am weak, I hire exceptional people in those areas. That way, in an area where I would be weak, they operate in their strength zone. And when everyone operates in their area of excellence, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary feats.
Focus
According to Gallup, “People exceptionally talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.”
Once again, this would be an accurate assessment of my personality. I say that because I tend to be intensely focused on what I am working on at a given moment. That said, I am very goal-oriented and results-driven. In other words, I rarely experience shiny object syndrome (oh, squirrel), where someone may get distracted by peripheral things or, put plainly, stuff that doesn’t matter.
Gallup says, “Your Focus is powerful because it forces you to filter; you instinctively evaluate whether or not a particular action will help you move toward your goal. Those that don’t are ignored.”
For instance, let’s say someone walks in the door while you are working on a project and wants to engage in small talk with you. If the discussion doesn’t move you towards the goal, this will become a distraction, unwanted, and ultimately ignored for personality types like me.
As we’ve discovered above, I’m not really one for small talk. If I were going to be taken away from my work, I would much rather engage in stimulating intellectual conversation. However, it is essential to remember that having this Focus strength, according to Gallup, can make people like me “become impatient (or frustrated) with delays, obstacles, and even tangents, no matter how intriguing they appear to be.”
Some might view this as rude behavior, especially those who are strong in the Empathy theme, which is an area where I am weak. That said, as I mentioned above, this would be an area where I would hire someone strong in the Empathy area to enhance where I am weak.
According to Gallup, this Focus theme (strength) “makes me an extremely valuable team member.” In other words, when others begin to get distracted and engage in “watercooler” type discussions, my Focus strength brings everyone back on task and helps minimize wasted time.
Now, as we mentioned above, most people believe that extroverts make for better entrepreneurs than introverts. That said, most people might also believe or have the notion that entrepreneurs are less focused (if at all) and probably are closer to having attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Even though I am sure there are extroverted, less focused entrepreneurs operating in the marketplace who are probably very successful, that doesn’t mean introverted, intensely focused individuals can’t be just as successful in entrepreneurship.
Finally, according to Gallup, the Focus theme is part of the Executing domain of the Clifton Strengths data, and people who have dominant Executing themes, like Focus, can make things happen or get things done.
To that end, if you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner looking to become a more self-aware leader and learn how to hire to enhance your weaknesses so everyone wins, I encourage you to subscribe to our Business & Entrepreneurship newsletter today. We truly believe no entrepreneur or business owner should have to build or grow a business alone.
William Ballard, CEO, Business Coach
Coming from a middle-class family, William has a heart for helping people who feel they have so much more to give, but can't seem to escape the 9-to-5 rat race. With the wisdom he's absorbed from the several mentors that have poured into his life and the knowledge he's gained from many years of collegiate training, he enjoys sharing all that he's learned with his engaged and growing community. He is the founder of the Business Insider newsletter (3,000+ subscribers) and is a sought-after Certified Coach and Trainer within the John Maxwell Leadership Team. William and his team specialize in helping small business owners and entrepreneurs bring their organizations to scale by creating authority-positioning content and authentic, magnetic messaging that inspires and changes lives.
